Taxi!
by RosePhyre
Summary: When a seemingly simple maid stumbles into a strange situation, what will happen to her? AU First story! Please R&R! Note: It's a lot more interesting than the summary!
1. A Long Walk Home

TAXI

Kaoru glared at her watch. The little numbers blinked at her without mercy, showing that it was 8 o'clock. Sighing in frustration, the young woman put down her heavy bags. She knew that if she did not return by the time Mistress Tomoe awoke, she would lose her job. And jobs were very desirable in times like these. Kaoru was not ready to go back to a life of begging and wandering the streets. That kind of life was better left to those without any promise.

Sighing again, she kicked another rock against the wall, revelling in the satisfying sound it made. Her cheap plastic boots were scuffed and ugly, but they were warm, which was all that mattered. Kaoru could vaguely remember when there had been better things, like leather and wool. But now, everyone made do with cheap plastic. Natural resources had long dwindled into nonexistence, and only the truly rich, like Mistress Tomoe, could afford any sort of luxury. Kaoru would know, having been privileged enough to see the older girl's wealth whenever Tomoe decided to parade around the house.

Making up her mind, Kaoru began the long trek across the city to the Yukishiro estate. Mr.Yukishiro was Tomoe's father and the city's largest financier. The gossips all said that he made his money through the black market, supplying weapons to both sides of the war. But his winsome personality and heavy bribes kept Enishi Yukishiro away from any government suspicions. Tomoe, on the other hand, was always in public scrutiny; working as a fashion model in faraway countries, where there was no war and where people could still live peacefully.

Kaoru's feet began to ache five minutes into her journey. The frequency of the city buses left something to be desired. They never showed up when one needed them, but were active at all hours of the night, waking everyone with their rattling engines. The whole city was falling apart. It was far from the main battlefront, but the effects of air raids could be seen clearly. The only reason that the Yukishiro mansion had survived was because it was completely underground; a labyrinth of safety from the roving bombers. Needless to say, it had saved Kaoru's life on many occasions.

Looking up from the heavy grocery bags cradled in her arms, Kaoru looked at her watch again. All the servants were issued with them, supposedly to prevent any excuses of 'not knowing the time'. The little red numbers showed her that it was already 8:15. The stupid Roosterhead would be displeased if she arrived after 8:45, as he still needed to prepare Tomoe's breakfast. Kaoru wasn't going to make it.

It was then that she saw him. Leaning casually on the bright yellow taxi, the man seemed to be asleep. She saw his lips move with every breath he exhaled, fluttering his heavy black bangs. Kaoru desperately picked up her pace, barely managing to hold on to her groceries. Her pay was dismal, but even she could afford to use a taxi in this desperate situation.

The man did not wake up, even when Kaoru yelled and prodded him with her boot. Rather, he just slumped forward, revealing the injury on his back. Kaoru frowned with concern; the man appeared to have been knocked out from a blow to the head, and stabbed with a knife. Judging from the small bloodstain, she could tell that this was a recent attack. Maybe she had scared away the assailant with her presence; the street was deserted at this time in the morning. Making a quick decision, Kaoru fished the keys from the man's pocket (his distinctive yellow jacket marked him as a cab driver, just as Kaoru's gray uniform marked her as a maid) and put her groceries in the trunk.

Then she pulled the man in the backseat, making sure he was comfortable. He groaned a little and his eyelids fluttered, sure signs that he would be regaining consciousness. She was right. He opened his blue eyes and stared at her uncomprehendingly. Kaoru sighed a little and said, "You were injured and I need to get somewhere. If I could borrow your taxi, I can drive you to a safe place where you can get treatment, and I can get home on time."

The man groaned again and sat up fully. Pulling a roll of bandages from another pocket, he proceeded to take off his shirt and jacket. Kaoru quickly grabbed the bandages and wrapped his torso, making sure that they weren't too tight. She was efficient, a side-effect of helping Megumi in the hospitals when she had free time. The man sat up and grunted. "Nobody is touching my taxi. Give me the money, and I'll take you wherever". Kaoru didn't know whether to be grateful or disgruntled. The man was clearly in a bad situation, but he wouldn't even let her take him to safety. Either way, when they got to the Yukishiro estate, Megumi was going to treat his injury.

Kaoru sat down in the back and strapped herself in. "The Yukishiro estate, please," Kaoru requested with a tired smile. She had been out the whole night waiting for the groceries so that Tomoe could have her favourite breakfast when she returned from her fashion trip.

The man slowly turned and fixed her with a glare. "Yukishiro? The same man who had me attacked with thugs? Not a chance. Get out."

Kaoru just gaped at him. "No way," she cried. "As a taxi driver of this city, you are required to take any paying customer anywhere they wish to go! And I really, really need to get there in 20 minutes! There's no way I'll survive another whipping".

The man looked more sympathetic at the mention of a whipping. "It's not that I don't want to take you, but it's not safe for me there. I can't take you there. They will gun me down as soon as I get within two kilometres of the estate and I'm sure they won't care that one of their maids is killed in the process. You're going to have to find another way."

Kaoru was angry. "I don't care. Just take me as close as you can get, and hurry!"

She fumed at the thought of being 'one of the maids'. In the times before, this man would've known who she was without question. The Kamiya name was one of the most prestigious families, and she was the heir. But the war had no use for a pacifist computer company, so the Kamiya Corporation was dismantled. Kaoru was the only one who had escaped the brutal murders that had been the talk of the city. And now, she was in hiding, hoping that she could just eke out a living until her escape from this miserable war.

The way things were going, it looked like she might make it. Two kilometres would be a desperate run, but she could do it. Unfortunately, it looked like fate had other plans for her. Pushing her black hair into a ponytail, she looked desperately at the taxi driver. His impassive face looked strained as he accelerated quickly. But the three black cars behind them also sped up. It looked like Kaoru was caught in a bonafide car chase. To make things worse, the taxi was now heading toward the suburbs, in the opposite direction of the Yukishiro place.

Growling angrily, the stoic man swerved into another side street. At this rate, Kaoru would be lucky to make it back alive, let alone on time. Her thoughts were shattered by the sounds of gunfire.

"Get down," said the man, not daring to take his eyes off the road.

Kaoru whimpered quietly and did as she was told. But as she lay flat on the bottom of the car, she could see the light glinting off the weapons hidden under the front seats. Just who was this mysterious taxi driver?

Finally, the three cars seemed to give up the chase, and the taxi was quietly parked in a tiny alleyway. As soon as the car stopped, Kaoru took the opportunity to bolt through the door. She wanted to get away from the strange man and his hidden cache of weapons. They were in the middle of nowhere, and he might kill her if he realized that she knew he was an enemy. She only managed a few metres when someone caught her wrist. Screaming desperately, Kaoru pulled at her arm, only to find the man inches from her face. She hoped that someone would help her soon. After all, she didn't want to die just yet.

The man waited until she stopped struggling. "I can explain everything," he said in his low baritone. "There's a reason why Yukishiro wants me dead."

Kaoru pleaded with him. "I won't tell anyone I met you. I'll forget all about it if you let me go. Please. You can have my money, and I'll disappear from the city. Just…please, let me go."

The man looked distinctly unhappy with her words. "No. You have to come with me. Battousai will decide what to do with you."

Kaoru froze at his words. Battousai was one of the leaders of the resistance forces; a ruthless killer who assassinated government officials on behalf of the resistance forces. If it weren't for him, there wouldn't have been an uprising. The war would never have existed! She wanted to scream and hit this man who was promising her a certain death. She would be killed instantly, deemed a threat and a spy. She cursed her bad luck and wished she had never met the horrible man in front of her.

Blue met sapphire as two sets of eyes clashed. The man dragged her over to one of the desolate buildings, and knocked in a funny pattern. A young girl with a long braid threw herself at the man, her cat-like features twisted with joy.

"Aoshi-sama is safe! We were so worried when we heard that Yukishiro's men were after you." The girl squealed in joy and made to drag the older man inside. Meanwhile, Kaoru was doing some very fast thinking. If what this girl said was true, then the man holding her captive must be…

"Shinomori Aoshi." Aoshi looked a bit put-out that Misao had already revealed his name. "Welcome to the resistance, Kamiya Kaoru."

Kaoru barely had time to gasp before she was pulled into the building, the door slamming shut behind her.

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_A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading my very first story! Comments and criticisms are much appreciated! _

_Rose_


	2. Out Of Options

A/N: Since there seems to be some potential for the story to develop further, I'm going to keep writing and see where this takes me

_A/N: Since there seems to be some potential for the story to develop further, I'm going to keep writing and see where this takes me. Wish me luck!_

_Oh, and since I forgot in the first chapter: ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. _

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Kaoru cowered behind Aoshi as she was led deeper and deeper into the base. It seems the war had caused some major changes in the city's architectural designing, as everything was starting to be built underground. No matter, it was safe from the bombing, so it should be alright.

It was then that Kaoru realized something. Why was the leader of the Resistance sitting here, so faraway from the actual fighting? Shouldn't he be leading his troops or directing the battle? Kaoru supposed that there was a good reason to all this that she was not missing. Another sharp tug of Aoshi's hand brought her mind back to the enigma in front of her. The man was still dragging her quickly through the tunnels.

How strange that someone who seemed so normal was turning out to be her worst enemy. He was definitely someone she didn't want to mess with. In a way, the black hair and blue eyes combination was similar to her own, but his eyes seemed older and wearier. Sighing in relief when Aoshi (she had stopped thinking of him as 'taxi man') released her hand, pushing her into a small room.

"Wait here," he ordered gruffly. "Someone will come fetch you for an audience. And don't even try to escape-the tunnels extend farther that you would believe and it's so easy to get lost".

Glaring back at her captor, Kaoru sat on her bed in a seeming show of submission. But she couldn't resist calling back to him, "Hey, my groceries are still inside the trunk of your taxi. They'll go bad soon if you don't throw them away".

The stoic man blinked at her and smirked, closing the door as he left. Kaoru lay down on the bed and feigned sleep. Actually, she was considering all the different scenarios in her head. The foremost plan was escape, but she knew Aoshi wasn't lying about the tunnels. Plan B was just as implausible. She could plead her case to the Battousai, but he didn't strike her as the sympathetic type. Helpless in her situation, Kaoru was forced to go with Plan B, hoping that all the rumours weren't true.

The door was thrown open as an energetic girl flew into the room. She was holding a tray of food, but seemed to not have dropped anything. "I'm here to greet the new prisoner," she screamed. Kaoru, who had jumped up when the door opened, decided that this new girl could be of some use. After all, she had to know her way around the base, right?

The girl, who introduced herself as Makimachi Misao, did not seem to care about Kaoru at all. Though she was supposed to be guarding the prisoner, Misao used this valuable time to daydream. Smiling slightly at the younger girl, Kaoru was reminded of herself, a few years before this godforsaken had taken her innocence away from her.

Misao jumped up as soon as Kaoru had finished her tasteless lunch. Smiling widely, she pulled an unresisting Kaoru with her. This time, Kaoru tried to memorize the path back to her room, so that she wouldn't be completely lost. Within a minute, they were standing in front of two large steel doors, waiting. Kaoru did not want to seem impatient, but Misao began fidgeting and blushing as she looked down another hallway. Soon enough, Aoshi arrived, expressionless as always.

Misao squealed and launched herself at Aoshi's midriff. When she noticed Kaoru staring, she clutched even harder at Aoshi, missing his pained wince as she dug into his wound. Hoping that she wouldn't be executed for this, Kaoru decided to help him out. "Misao, I think Aoshi is wounded. Maybe hugging him would cause the wound to reopen…" Kaoru smiled as Misao began fussing over him.

"Misao, I'm fine, now go back to the kitchen," commanded Aoshi, clearly put –out that she was being so annoying. He looked so irritated, which probably meant bad things to come. Kaoru prayed to any Gods that were listening for her safety. She didn't want to think about what would happen to her if they decided she was a threat.

Aoshi pushed through the steel doors, and pulled her inside the room. The room was clearly lived in, with papers and clothing spread everywhere. A red-haired man stepped out from another room, still holding his toothbrush. He glanced at Kaoru and Aoshi, and disappeared again. The sound of running water stopped, and he stepped out once more.

Kaoru didn't know what to think. Who was this handsome man? She knew there was something wrong with his appearance, but she couldn't pinpoint it. As the mystery man stopped in front of her, she knew who he was. Hair like flames, eyes like amber and his distinctive cross-shaped scar. Knowing that this was the Hitokiri Battousai, she took a few steps back.

This man was one of the more feared Battousais. He was said to attack only at night, silently stalking his prey from the shadows. With one strike, his sword would fell hundreds of men. Kaoru felt all her chances of mercy slipping through her fingers.

"Kenshin," Aoshi sighed. "This is her. Her name is Kamiya Kaoru." Bowing deeply, Aoshi left without a word.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru gasped as he edged closer.

"Himura Kenshin," said Battousai, obviously uncomfortable by her fear.

Schooling her features into one of impassivity, Kaoru took another look at her captor. He seemed weary, as he would rather be anywhere but here. Though he was famed to be evil and ruthless, she guessed that he was probably as human as anyone else. She stopped edging backwards and drew herself up to her full height.

"My name is Kamiya Kaoru. I am nineteen years old. I am but a maid, and I have done nothing wrong. Please let me go!" Kaoru noted that her voice seemed calm and controlled, but her heart was pounding in her chest. Since she wasn't going to live through this, she might as well die with some dignity.

Kenshin inspected her uniform closely. "Are you sure you're just a maid?" He looked like he was considering something important.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm just a maid for the Yukishiro household. You can ask around the city." Kaoru thought that she might be closer to a breakthrough here. But Kenshin tensed suddenly at the mention of the Yukishiro name.

"Kaoru," he began slowly, in a bargaining tone. "Yukishiro is my sworn enemy. He is one of the Loyalists, and I am one of the leaders to the Resistance. Yes, he is powerful, but all his money is from ill-gotten means. He is a coward, always hiding behind his money and killing off thousands so that he can profit from this stupid war. In short, he is everything I hate and want to destroy about this government; the epitome of cruelty and corruption."

Kaoru looked down. Even though it seemed silly, she felt a bit ashamed that her employer was so horrible. But she didn't have a choice- if she didn't work for Enishi, she would have died on the streets a long time ago. There was simply no place for people without purpose-they were recruited into the war and sent directly to the front lines. Shuddering at the thought, she brought her attention back to Kenshin, who was pacing the room.

"Kaoru. Within all reasonable logic, there isn't a good reason why I would just let you go back to Enishi. For all I know, you could be a clever spy for him…I don't know. All I know is that your father was a good man. So, for an old friend, I'm willing to make an exception this time. I'm willing to let you go back safely back to your home."

At this, Kaoru gasped with surprise. She was eager to get back to safety and she was extremely happy that she wasn't going to die. She could kiss someone right now. Smiling brightly at Kenshin, Kaoru turned on her heel and began to march out of his lair.

"Unfortunately, there's a catch. You see, we're still not sure of your loyalties, no matter your heritage. So, I'm asking that you do something for us. We're going to use you as a spy. As long as you do what we ask, you won't be killed. Sound fair?" Kenshin sounded menacing, his soft voice taking on a steely edge.

Kaoru was desperate once more. "I'm just a maid, I can't do anything. But if it satisfies you, I'll try my best to do anything you ask. Just let me go." She didn't want to cry in front of this man, mostly because she didn't want him to think she was weak and foolish. If only she was pretty like Tomoe; she could try and flirt her way out of this situation. Screaming inside, she anxiously waited for Kenshin's decision.

"Fine. We'll be in touch soon." Kenshin left without another word.

Kaoru almost collapsed from relief. She could leave now, and pretend none of this ever happened. But a small voice inside her told her that she had just promised Kenshin to be a spy. Oh well, there wasn't much use in overthinking the situation now. What was done was done, and she could deal with the consequences when they came.

Stretching to relieve her tense muscles, she stepped outside to find Aoshi waiting outside. They walked silently through the hallways, as silent as mice. She didn't want any conversation with the man who had brought this on her. But once they were inside the taxi, she couldn't resist.

"What happened to my groceries?" Kaoru blurted out the first thing that came to mind, and then blushed. She was so silly. Her life was no longer in danger and she could only think of her groceries. Because Kaoru had her head in her hands, she missed Aoshi's smirk.

"Actually, I sent a messenger with them to the Yukishiro household. So you won't get beaten for being late…" At this point, there wasn't much for Kaoru to do except feel grateful to whatever deity was watching over her.

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_A/N: So, my first review by LimeGrass has inspired me to continue with this story. There are a few ideas I'm working with, so please support my in my endeavour. Meaning…please review. Thank you!_


	3. Orange Juice

_A/N: I'm so pleased with all the hits that I'm working on the third chapter already! I have some ideas…but please review! I don't whether anyone actually likes the story or maybe I'm just working for nothing. I can't tell yet. Onto the story!_

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY_

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Kaoru could feel herself getting more and more uncomfortable as they approached the Yukishiro mansion. She remembered how frightening those black cars were, and how they had shot at her. Her apprehension grew as she looked at Aoshi, recalling how he had not wanted to approach this place at all. Nervous, she played with the hem of her drab uniform, revelling in the thought that she would at least see her friends again.

Aoshi stopped the taxi a few metres away from a grimy looking bar. "This is where you will get your first assignment. Be here tomorrow night at 7. Don't be late. At the bar, ask for a glass of orange juice; it's the password." Aoshi's voice sounded cold and uncaring, and Kaoru got the hint that she was supposed to leave not. After muttering a hasty thank you, she left to find her way to the Yukishiro mansion. Luckily, it was not far, only a few blocks up the hill.

Used to the exercise, Kaoru arrived quickly. She knocked on the servants' gate and waited for the fingerprint and pupil scanners to complete their duty. She noted that the time was a little after 12, so everyone would be eating lunch. Hopefully, she could sneak in unnoticed and talk to her friends. She knew that they would help her.

Slowly stepping past the guards on duty, she made her way to the servant quarters. They were small and uncomfortable, but the rooms were protected by a steel ceiling in case of air raids. Speaking of which, Kaoru hoped she wouldn't get caught in one tomorrow. The bombs were thrown arbitrarily into the city; the pilots uncaring of how much destruction they caused.

Feeling the heat from the furnaces through the walls, Kaoru entered the bustling kitchen. She immediately spotted her roosterheaded friend, Sagara Sanosuke. Orphaned as a baby, Sano had to learn his keep from the very beginning. Luckily for him, he had been taken in by a kind officer. Unluckily for Sano, the man had been killed as a traitor during the war. Sano had been forced onto the streets, watching as his adoptive father was beheaded and paraded around the city.

Kaoru's eyes softened as the she looked at the large man, easily directing his staff by shouting orders. His assistants Sae and Tae were already bustling about, just having finished the midday meal, and were starting the cleanup procedure. Kaoru supposed that this was as good a time as any to go talk to Sano.

She pulled his sleeve until he noticed her. "Jou-chan, where have you been? We were so worried about you, and I was ready to go looking for you. What happened to you?" Sano shouted as he grabbed Kaoru into a bone –crushing hug, completely disregarding the rest of the kitchen staff. Tae and Sae gave her identical looks of worry; silently confirming that she was unharmed.

Kaoru giggled, and whispered, "I'll tell you and Megumi all about it. I really need your help."

Sano nearly dropped her from surprise, and set her down neatly on the floor. Nodding at her, he ushered her into the dining room with a bowl of soup and unasked questions. Kaoru just smiled; satisfied that she was going to get some help. She was not ready to face Kenshin or Aoshi without some backup.

After eating her lunch with her friend, Myojin Yahiko, Kaoru decided to head back to her rooms. She could feel a headache beginning to form from Yahiko's incessant chatter. Though he was only twelve, he worked hard. As a junior guard, it was his duty to patrol the inside of the servant's quarters, making sure that everything was alright. Along with his partner Tsukayama Yutaro, the pair of troublemakers never ceased to give Kaoru a headache. Hence, she was heading down to her rooms for a nice warm bath.

All thoughts of her bath were banished from Kaoru's head as she saw her friend Takani Megumi waiting for her. Sitting patiently, Megumi was stitching more rolls of bandages when Kaoru entered. As one of the personal physicians of the Yukishiro household, Megumi was a busy woman. Kaoru felt guilty for pulling Megumi form her duties, but she knew that her best friend would definitely want to know what happened.

"Megumi, have you been waiting long? Did Sa--" Kaoru's question was cut short by Sano's entrance. With chewing on his trademark fishbone, Sano cut straight to the chase. "Jou-chan, I want to know everything. Tell us." He stared at Kaoru, waiting for the story to begin.

And so, Kaoru told her two best friends everything. She described her mysterious taxi-man, Shinomori Aoshi, and told them about her meeting with the Hitokiri Battousai. She ended with her new mission, and waited to see what their reactions would be. Predictably, Sano and Megumi began to bicker.

Sano was very vocal about his disapproval of the whole mess. He wanted to meet the people who were forcing such stress and hardship on his Jou-chan. He may be a simple cook in appearance, but when he walked the streets, people gave Zanza a wide berth.

Megumi, on the other hand, felt that challenging the Resistance would only propel Kaoru into danger. Not wanting to risk her friend's life, she was advocating compliance with Kenshin's wishes. It wasn't as if anyone here was actually loyal to Enishi; the man was cruel and power hungry. Not a pleasant person at all. Tomoe was more aloof and cold, expressing only her displeasure when things did not go her away. But Megumi found her company calming, and might consider Tomoe a friend. If Kaoru really was going to betray Enishi, Megumi would make sure Tomoe got away safely.

Kaoru could feel her headache worsening and gladly sipped the medicine Megumi had given her. Promising that he would accompany her to the bar, Sano left to oversee the dinner preparations. Megumi tended to her sick friend, worried that Kaoru too sick to perform her duties as the grocery maid that night.

Luckily, Kaoru recovered, and by 8, she was already on the way to the grocery store. This time, she took a slightly longer route and passed by the bar again. She also watched carefully for any taxis, jumping into the shadows at the slightest sound of an engine. The night was growing chilly and she pulled her thin jacket around her. Since the uniform consisted of a comfortable pant-shirt-jacket combination, Kaoru felt lucky that she wouldn't be freezing tonight.

The grocery store was a large underground building. The grocery trucks were bringing in food for the city from the farms to the north, so the groceries only arrived at night. Though the Yukishiro family was rich and powerful, even they had to wait for some special commodities to be delivered. The basics like bread and milk were delivered daily to the household, but it was Kaoru's job to bring back the real delicacies. Tonight her list consisted of rare chocolate, mangoes and a few bottles of wine. At least it was relatively light.

Kaoru hated waiting in line. The other people would always glare at her uniform, cursing her and her master for the plight of the city. Sighing, Kaoru made herself as inconspicuous as possible, praying that the trucks would be early tonight. No such luck. They only arrived at 6 in the morning, and the attendants were instantly mobbed by the crowd. Presenting the Yukishiro ration card, Kaoru quickly gathered the merchandise and left.

As her stomach began to grumble, signalling that it wanted breakfast, Kaoru thought once again of the enigmatic Aoshi. She wondered if he was still around, posing as a taxi driver and kidnapping innocent civilians. She remembered his stoic face, devoid of any expressions other then amusement and annoyance. If Misao was his beloved, then she almost felt sorry for the younger girl. _What a boring man. Unlike Kenshin, who was more interesting. _Unlike Aoshi, Kenshin exuded an unstable aura; she could feel him fighting to keep himself under control. It was strange that the Hitokiri Battousai would be here of all places.

The long walk back home was uneventful. She reached the kitchens well before 8, earning a pat on the head and steaming breakfast. Tired from her night, she immediately fell asleep. Luckily for her, she was quickly awoken by Sano at 6:00, telling her to get ready to face her mission. She put on her darkest clothing and cloak and slipped into the shadows behind Sano. They made their way quickly to the bar.

"Wait here," whispered Kaoru. "I'll be out in an hour, and if I'm not, something has gone wrong."

Sano nodded in understanding and slid onto the pavement, making himself comfortable for the time being. But his anxiety was written all over his face. Kaoru just hoped she would be back on time-Sano was very unpleasant when angry or worried. She really didn't want him involved.

Kaoru stepped into the bar and was immediately assaulted by bright lights and loud music. It was an archetypical club, complete with the dancing patrons and surly barkeep. If anyone stabbed or shot her in this place, the sight could easily be hidden in one of the dark corners. She quickly made her way to the bar and sat down nervously.

The barkeep grumbled at her. "I've never seen you around here before. I'm Hiko Seijuro, pleased to meet you."

The surly man looked anything but. Kaoru gave him a shaky smile as she mumbled, "I'll have a glass of orange juice, please." She hoped that this was the right place and person to say this. Honestly, she just wanted to go home and hide until all of this was over.

Hiko grinned at her and pointed at the door behind him. Gulping nervously, Kaoru walked up to it and slowly turned the handle. Hiko just sighed and pulled the door open, causing Kaoru to stumble. Catching her easily, the large man pushed her through the door and locked it, leaving Kaoru in the darkness.

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_A/N: Ok here's the third chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying it…I am writing it pretty quickly, aren't I? I have some idea of what the next chapter will be like, but I'm hoping for some suggestions too! Please, Please REVIEW? Flames are welcome…that way I'll know I should stop writing!_


	4. Brother

_A/N: Ok, here's the fourth chapter. I can see people are reading my story…I guess I expected more reviews. Oh well, I guess I'll just post this chapter and see how people respond. I'm really worried now; I can't tell whether people actually like the story.  
_

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Kaoru hated the dark. She had hated it as a child, and has always hated it since. Therefore, it was safe to conclude that she was very frightened when pushed into a strange and dark room by a strange and scary man. The thought of it was enough to make her heart beat faster. Who knew what dangers were lurking in this place?

Kaoru slowly felt her way along the walls, hoping there was a light switch somewhere. Luckily there was one located just at arm's reach. Quickly flicking it on, she gasped at the sight. The room was a warehouse…for weapons! No wonder the lights had been turned off; if anyone had seen this from the outside, everyone in the bar would have been arrested as traitors. Civilians were no longer allowed to possess weapons, fearing that it made them rebellious. Confused, Kaoru turned back to pound at the door, not noticing the footsteps behind her.

Soujirou was happy to get a new mission; he had become bored working as a messenger boy. Walking into the room, he was surprised to see a young woman pounding on the door to the bar. Worried, he reached out to grab her shoulder, not expecting her to punch him in the face.

Kaoru drew her fist back, getting ready to face her attacker again. Whatever he wanted, he was definitely wasn't getting it without a fight. She slowly dropped her arm as she realized the man in front of her was sporting a bloody nose. Fighting the urge to run away, she knelt in front of him and offered her handkerchief.

"Thanks," muttered the man. "They didn't tell me there was an assassin in the room. Then again, I didn't think they had found out I'm part of the Resistance. But I'm guessing you're actually the new spy, right? Kaoru, you have a mighty fist…"

Kaoru suppressed the urge to laugh and regarded him with a troubled gaze. "I didn't really want to do this. I don't know how I'm going to be a spy for the Resistance at all. What's my mission with you anyway?"

Aoshi suddenly appeared behind her, closing and locking the door to the bar. "Sorry I'm late Seta, I got caught up in traffic." He gave Kaoru an onceover and smirked. "Nervous? Don't worry; your job today is easy. You have to get Soujirou into the Yukishiro household."

Kaoru didn't know what to say. How on earth was she supposed to smuggle in a person? If it was a gun or something, she might've managed, but this request was just foolhardy. She was about let Aoshi know this when she realized that failure was not an option here. If she failed this task, then the Resistance would deem her useless and eliminate her. No, that definitely was not an option.

Staring at the ground pensively, Kaoru began to go through her options. She couldn't bring him with her-the scanner and guards would see rig-

Wait a second. The guards! The guards were always training, and Yahiko had told her yesterday that one of his junior guard friends had broken his leg, meaning that there was a need for a new guard. Kaoru took another look at Soujirou. If she stood next to him, he was only a few inches taller than she was. She took note of his fair skin, blue eyes and black hair.

"Do you know how to fight, Soujirou?" Kaoru enquired, trying to ascertain whether this would even work.

"Yes. It's important to my job," replied Soujirou cheerfully. This small woman was starting to intrigue him.

"Ok, I've got it. You are going to be my brother. I just found you today. There is a guard position available in the compound. They will give it to you since we are related; I know the captain, Hajime Saitou, well. He might look scary, but he is actually very nice."

Soujirou seemed to understand the situation. "I'll just need to get ready then. I shall be back in fifteen minutes."

Aoshi was impressed. The Kamiya woman was certainly a quick thinker. Even Aoshi could see how people might mistake the pair as siblings. He turned to watch Kaoru fidget; she was looking worriedly at the different weapons lining the walls.

"So, does this mean you won't kill me? I've done what has been asked of me…" Kaoru's voice trailed off as she noticed Aoshi's gaze soften.

"I really should apologize for this. It's my fault you got involved; I really didn't trust Enishi to leave me alone for too long. His assassins have been after me for a while, and I shouldn't have taken you in the taxi." He sighed, continuing, "I really should stop innocent people from getting involved in this fight."

Now Kaoru's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean? Are there others?" She tried not to sound too nosy, but suddenly, the enigma in front of her seemed more human.

"I meant Misao. She has been following me since she was a toddler. I can't control people's actions…but somehow it's always my fault…" Aoshi had a faraway look in his eyes. Kaoru was about to pry a little more, but Soujirou had returned.

He was a little scruffy looking, as if he had been travelling a while. A worn pack was perched on his left shoulder, and his clothes were filthy. If Kaoru hadn't known better, she could've sworn that 'her brother' had been travelling quite sometime to meet her. Nodding to show his approval, Aoshi silently disappeared.

"Ready to show me around, elder sister?" Soujirou smiled at Kaoru.

Kaoru nodded and led him back through the door and into the bar. But she stopped suddenly in her tracks, unable to believe the sight in front of her. Sano was lounging in the front, sipping casually at his glass. He was not sober, not by a long shot. Grabbing his collar angrily, Kaoru dragged him out, much to the amusement of the spectators. Soujirou followed the duo, winking at Hiko as he went past. Hiko just frowned and continued washing glasses.

When they were outside in the quiet streets, Kaoru shook her friend mercilessly. "What on earth were you doing, getting drunk? Some backup you are!" Huffing angrily, she proceeded to stomp up the hill, uncaring of the two men looking at her.

The walk home was uneventful, discounting Sano's drunken antics. Soujirou was forced to support the man as he stumbled in his stupor. Sighing slightly, he made his way to the Yukishiro compound, hoping that Kaoru's plan was weird enough to work.

Kaoru reached the gates and knocked, rather than going through the scanning procedures. She told her partners to wait here, and she went in to talk to the head guard, Hajime Saitou. Kaoru just hoped she was convincing enough to make Saitou believe that Soujirou was her brother.

"Come in." Even though his voice was lazy, Saitou was alert and angry. There was no way he would slack off, no matter how late it was. This girl was going to cause trouble, he could feel it. Kaoru could feel her heart pounding faster and faster as she took a seat.

"Hajime-san, I really need a big favour. My brother, Soujirou, has just escaped from the north, and I want him to stay with me. He needs a job, and I thought that since we have so many guards…" At this point, Kaoru wasn't sure if tears would help her case. Saitou was a hard-hearted man; an old war veteran. He didn't have much pity in him.

Following this train of thought, Kaoru didn't even realize that Saitou was already outside, examining his new prospect. Rushing outside, she could see that Sano had finally slipped into unconsciousness and was snoring away in a corner. Soujirou, on the other hand, was tense as Saitou slowly circled him.

"I guess you'll be ok. You can stay for a while until that fool recovers. We'll see what happens then." Saitou left, pulling out a cigarette for a calming smoke. Dealing with stupid people always put him on edge.

Kaoru released the breath she had been holding; she was finally safe! Her ridiculous plan had worked and she would not be killed. Grinning, she watched Megumi pull Sano away to his room; he would need to be treated for a hangover in the morning or else he wouldn't be fit enough to prepare the morning meal.

Speaking of breakfast, Kaoru really had to leave for her trip to the grocery store. Leaving quickly, she was able to make it in time so that she wasn't too far back in line. Hurrying back to the estate, Kaoru didn't think anyone could feel this tired. Being worried for your life is very taxing on a person's health, but the relief she felt was refreshing. Hopefully, they would just leave her alone now. She had been able to escape after her family's destruction, but she really was the last Kamiya left. Well, except for Soujirou, he seemed to be an honorary Kamiya now. Giggling lightly, she tried to stay awake long enough to collapse onto her bed, forgoing breakfast. Within moments, she was fast asleep.

When Kaoru woke up, it was nearly time for supper. After washing her face, she took another good look at herself. Lately, it felt like her life wasn't real anymore. She was just half a person, living through the motions of a poor person. What was she really? If this war hadn't happened, she would have been happy as Kamiya Kaoru; debutante and heiress. Now she was just Kamiya Kaoru, poor kitchen maid turned spy. Did things like this even happen to normal people?

Sighing at her stupidity, she felt happy just to be alive. She only wished that the war would end soon so that she could regain some sense of normalcy within herself. In the times before, Kaoru was known as headstrong and compassionate. Now she was just a shell, not really doing much with her life. If she could get away from this godforsaken city and war, she could…

Shaking her head, she realized she was just thinking in circles. Granted, there was nothing that could be done about the past. But she was still the same Kaoru, and she would survive, just like she had for all this time. Feeling melancholic, she realized that it was time to meet everyone for dinner.

Gratefully accepting the steaming dishes from Sano, she went to sit with Soujirou. He seemed a bit lonely, sitting by himself in a corner of the dining hall.

"Soujirou!" She greeted him casually, trying not to look too suspicious.

Soujirou just looked at her with weary eyes. "I need a few more days, and then you can report back to Aoshi."

Frowning, Kaoru tried to understand what he meant. What was she going to report to Aoshi? She was about to ask him, but Soujirou had already guessed what was on her mind.

"I'm guessing Aoshi didn't tell you. You are our go-between, since you leave everyday. You can tell him tonight that I'll need more time." Soujirou looked very tired; Kaoru guessed that he was tired from having to do his job.

"But what is your mission exactly?" Kaoru was sure she wasn't supposed to know such information, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity.

Soujirou looked up suddenly from his meal. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to kill Enishi."

Kaoru just gaped at him in shock.

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_A/N: So there's chapter 4. I'm still not sure how this is going to be an AoshixKaoru fic, seeing as I only put that since they were the main characters in the original one-shot. I'm leaning towards Soujirou, even though I'm very bad at bringing characters together. Please review. Nobody has review on the past two chapters, and I'm guessing that no one is reading this story. So it's up to YOU to cheer me up with a review! It's motivation!_


	5. Sunrise

_A/n: Ok, so I've written four chapters of this, and I guess I'm stretching it out too long. The only reason I was waiting to post this was because I was undecided on whether to take down the AoshixKaoru pairing-I don't want to get people's hopes up about it. I really thought I would get a review that would help me decide, but I guess it's not up to me anymore. So, with this, please enjoy the rest of the story. I won't bother about reviews anymore. But they will still make me very happy!_

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Kaoru was shocked. There was no way that gentle-looking Soujirou was an assassin. He looked too nice to do something like that. Either way, Kaoru had just about enough. Hissing angrily, she pulled Soujirou, dragging him to her room to talk in private. As she passed through the kitchen, Sano was worried enough to follow her. If something was up, he wanted to be there to help Kaoru; he was still embarrassed that he had managed to get drunk last night.

Throwing Soujirou onto the bed, Kaoru began to pace, muttering under her breath. She couldn't believe that she had been pulled into such a complicated matter. Assuming that Soujirou was another spy, she had let him in to do some more 'spying', never once imagining that he was some crazy assassin. He would be as bad as the Hitokiri Battousai!

There wasn't much she could do at this point. Instead of thinking of the cruel Enishi's fate, she focused on the hundred or so people that served him. He was their employer and only hope of survival in this city. If Enishi was killed, then these people would be forced onto the streets without any chance of survival. It was disgusting. If the Resistance gained the victory, the Loyalist troops would be pushed closer to the city. This place would be destroyed in a week's time. She couldn't imagine her childhood home as a battlefield, so empty of life and happiness. Even in hard times, there had been some hope. Today, Kaoru could feel that hope slipping through her fingers.

Angry, she turned to give Soujirou a piece of her mind for tricking her, not noticing that he and Sano were deep in conversation. In fact, it seemed like they were exchanging information. Curious, she sat on the floor, listening in on their discussion. They were talking about the execution plan.

"Yeah, he's got men around him all the time. You know Takeda Kanryu? He's Enishi's bodyguard even though he's pretty wimpy. You could take him down easily. It's just that he carries a lot of weapons on him, and he's an excellent shot." Sano mimed shooting a gun. "He takes them down every time; nobody's able to touch him."

Soujirou nodded, deep in thought. "That'll be up to Aoshi's group then. All I need to do is kill the boss. I really don't want Battousai to come here; it'll blow his cover. This is why I need to do this for him." He then noticed Kaoru sitting on the floor, looking disturbed.

"I know that this maybe a little too much for you to take in, but Enishi is one of the backbones of the war effort. He is the one who is funding the war in the south. Once he's gone, the Resistance will actually have a chance of winning this war."

Kaoru lashed out at him, angry that all he thought about was the war. To a pacifist person like her, bloodshed was disturbing. She didn't know what had sparked the war in the first place, but the situation was not better now. It was much, much worse.

"So, after this city is destroyed, what will the Resistance has taken down this city, what will happen? Will it keep marching on, destroying everything that we have worked for? You're going to destroy all of Japan if this continues. Look at the state of this city! The people!" Too angry to say anything, Kaoru grabbed her cloak and stalked out the door. It was time for her job.

Walking steadily down the dark streets, Kaoru found the opportunity to get her thoughts in order. She supposed it only made sense to take down Enishi; he was one of the kingpins of this organization. That's what made him so untouchable. Even she hadn't seen him and she had been working at the house for three years! Even Tomoe was more sociable than he was, leaving casually in her fancy clothes and cars. Enishi always travelled in secret, never letting anyone know where he was going. The only person who could control him was probably the former president, Makoto Shishio. But that man had gone insane from being burnt in an assassination attempt; it had been the Resistance's first bid for freedom.

On the way back, Kaoru was a little less discreet. Usually the streets were pretty safe because most people had run away to the farming communities in the North. The South side was being ravaged steadily and there weren't enough resources to support the poor. Luckily, she had a job. Though she wondered how long this precarious life would last. She longed to escape this country and start all over again.

Kaoru noticed that the sun was starting to rise; the light hitting the broken building. For a moment, it looked like the world was on fire. Holding her breath in awe, she didn't even notice the familiar yellow taxi puttering up the road. Aoshi leaned out the window and called out to the frozen girl. "If you wish, I can give you a ride to the mansion. But not too close, I don't want to get chased again. I have something to discuss with you."

Snapping out of her daze, she looked at the handsome man. Her feet were killing her and he was saving her from another hour of walking. Resisting the urge to shout in happiness, Kaoru managed some semblance of grace as she got into the car, putting the groceries in the trunk. Strapping herself in, she tried to ignore that fact that she was sitting on top of a pile of weapons and other illicit things.

"I have a message for you. Soujirou says he needs a couple more days to complete his scouting. He wants you to be ready when he gives you the signal." Kaoru suppressed the shudder running up her spine. She didn't want to be around when the murders happened.

Aoshi responded after a while. "Thank you Kamiya. You have been a great help, and now we have another mission for you. Nothing dangerous, we just want you to carry some things to Soujirou. And, you are to be our go-between. I'll be waiting here tomorrow at the same time; we can talk then."

Kaoru had some inkling that there was more to his statement than was apparent. She figured the 'things' that Soujirou needed were probably weapons and the like. It was too late to refuse; she supposed she could sneak it in with her groceries and hand it off to Soujirou when she passed by him on the way to the kitchens. Luckily, his position was in one of the cameras' blind spots. She would be discreet.

Nodding her assent, she watched the landscape fly past her. All too soon, she was forced to disembark, her groceries and another paper bag held in her hands. Smiling lightly at Aoshi, she waved at him and proceeded to walk the few blocks back to the estate.

Aoshi watched the young woman walk away. She might have seemed weak and incapable, but she really was managing quite well. She was independent; overcoming her obvious fear and doubts to help out someone she considered an enemy. Kamiya Kaoru was definitely a smart woman.

Kaoru looked like she did every morning. Forcing herself to look more awake, she hoped she would pull this off before her senses became muddled. She was one of those people who needed ten hours of sleep to function properly. Slipping past the scanners and outside guard, she walked down to the kitchens. Suddenly veering off course, she went to go see Soujirou.

Kaoru was concerned for Soujirou's health. The man looked even more tired than yesterday. His skin was pale and the bags under his eyes were more pronounced. Coughing weakly, he smiled at Kaoru, and reached for the bag. Checking it briefly, he gave her a sunny smile. Unable to find the conviction to be angry at him, she returned his smile and went on her way. Not a word was exchanged between them.

Pulling herself through the normal routine, Kaoru woke up when Soujirou entered her room. She pushed the covers off, leaving him a bed corner to sit on.

"Thanks." Soujirou's voice was quieter than usual. Noticing Kaoru's unasked question, he smiled slightly. "I'm not feeling well. The doctor lady said that it was some sickness caused by being too close to the weapons. The fallout damaged my lungs or something; the effects are really starting to show now. But I can't give up now, not when I'm so close. Give these to Aoshi. He'll understand what to do. Oh, and please stay out of the way. I don't want you hurt tomorrow."

Kaoru took the packet with shaky hands. In some twisted way, she had come to think of Soujirou as her brother. She didn't have any siblings, so she supposed that this is what a sister would feel for a brother who might not live to see next week. Hugging him gently, she whispered quietly, "Please take care of yourself. I don't want any part in this, but it's too late for that. I'd rather everyone was safe."

Soujirou's smile grew as he returned the hug. He pointed out, "I have to be there. You, on the other hand, should escape. As soon as they hear gunfire, the guards will head to the source. It'll be enough of a distraction-you should escape with your friends."

She began to feel the tears starting. Wiping at her face with clumsy hands, she waited till Soujirou was out of the room. It was beginning to feel like déjà vu. People that were here one day would disappear the next. Only she was left, adrift in a sea of loneliness. Sickened by her thoughts, she washed her face and left.

As promised, Aoshi was waiting for her. Handing him the packet, she said nothing. She knew he would be there tonight, participating in the murders and changing her life. Sighing slightly, she turned to him.

"I'd like to see the sunrise tomorrow."

His smirk was less intimidating today. Slowly braking, the little taxi jerked to a halt. Turning to face her, Aoshi ran a hand through his hair.

"Me too."

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_A/N: Ok, so the next chapter should be out over the weekend. Please look for it then! There was a bit of SouxKao here, but it's only as siblings. I'm so bad at writing romance..._

_Hate it? Like it? Either way, please review! (Oh, and should I change the pairing to none?)_


	6. The Battle Begins

A/N: Wow, I'm so pleased

_A/N: Wow, I'm so pleased! Two reviews! I guess it's time to find the Yukishiro siblings and see what they're up to…_

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Kaoru had collapsed on her bed as was her ritual. The girl was practically nocturnal now, sleeping during the day and working during the night. Megumi checked in on her like she had every afternoon for the past year. Kaoru was really something special, and it worried Megumi that one of her best friends was involved in something so dangerous.

The tall doctor walked into the kitchen and dragged Sano into a corner. "You are going to tell me everything. Now. Kaoru is under a lot of stress; this spying business is eating away at her health."

Sano was about to protest that there was nothing wrong with his Jou-chan's health, but the look in Megumi's eyes warned him to comply. The doctor was certainly a scary woman when angry. Lowering his voice, Sano told her everything he knew, from Soujirou's activities to the assassination attempt happening tonight.

Wrenching her arm from Sano's grasp, Megumi quickly ran up to her room. Gathering her things, she began to pack, with every intention of leaving this place immediately. Unfortunately, that's exactly when her phone began to ring, signalling that Tomoe was requesting her company immediately. Grabbing her bag of medical supplies, she left quickly, running quickly down the stairs into the deeper levels of the estate. Skidding to a halt in front of a plain wooden door, Megumi flattened her hair and smoothed her clothing. There was no point in greeting Tomoe looking like a tramp.

After two firm taps on the door, Megumi entered the room. It was plain, looking as if nobody lived in it. But the tall woman knew better. Tomoe was a unique kind of person; her aura was unlike anything she had felt before. Unlike her younger brother Enishi, Tomoe had no interest in war or money. In fact, she didn't have much of an interest in anything. Tomoe's fiancé had been the elder sons of a powerful general in the Loyalist Army. Unfortunately, Akira had died in battle a few weeks before the wedding.

Tomoe had been devastated, but she didn't show it. Only Megumi had known, having been at Tomoe's bedside for three weeks. For three weeks, Tomoe slept as if dead. Enishi had nearly gone mad with grief, unable to do anything without his beloved sister. His black hair had even turned white with the stress he had been under.

In fact, this whole ploy against the Resistance was fuelled by revenge. Enishi had turned against the killer of his brother-in-law to be. Enishi's target was the legendary Hitokiri Battousai. By making himself as prominent as possible, and with the backing of Shishio and his goons, Enishi had made himself a prime target for the assassin. And now, the plan was being set into motion.

Megumi sat down on the chair, waiting for Tomoe to appear. The older woman was radiant in her beauty, but her eyes were flat. Unperturbed, Megumi leaned forward and began relaying the information.

"It's finally time. The Resistance is going to be here at midnight to fight Enishi. I'm going to get out of here as soon as possible. Please allow the servants to escape; they have no part in this." Megumi hoped she was getting through to the woman; Tomoe's face didn't change at all. Then, there was a small nod.

Sighing in relief, Megumi reminded Tomoe of their promise to each other. In return for Megumi's help, Tomoe had forced Kanryu to find information on Megumi's family. Tomoe pulled out a folder from her purse and pushed it across the table. Trying not to seem too eager, Megumi picked up the folder and walked out of the room. This would be the last time she did something like. Hoping Kaoru and Sano would be alright without her to watch over them, Megumi packed up her bags and left through another back door. And that was the last anyone saw of her.

Kaoru woke up to the sound of many footsteps. Tae stepped in the room, looking shaken. About to ask what was wrong, Kaoru was stopped by the appearance of tears. "We have to leave. The Resistance is coming." She left immediately, running into the hall again.

Kaoru had been hoping that the evacuation would be done under the cover of night so that everyone could escape easily. Instead, there was a mass panic in the halls. People were running hither and thither; belongings stuffed into bags and free arms. Children were crying, and the guards were shouting something. Closing the door, she took a deep breath and tried to piece everything together.

The Resistance was coming tonight. The servants were escaping. That means that they knew the Resistance was coming. But for that to happen, someone had to have warned Enishi. Meaning…the Resistance had been betrayed! Feeling panic settling in her stomach, she bolted out the door to find her friends.

Sano was easy to spot. He was directing everyone out the kitchen entrances. Flattening herself against the wall, Kaoru edged closer to him until she was within touching distance. Seeing how harried he was, she waited until the crowd had departed. Luckily, nobody had been trampled in the mad rush. In a few moments, the kitchen was empty. Sano turned to envelop Kaoru in a tight hug. He looked weary.

"The fox is gone. I guess she really was a fox. You better get out too, Jou-chan. There is no way that Enishi's going to let you live after this. You need to tell the Resistance to get out of the city. They won't survive this; it'll be a massacre." Kaoru just hugged Sano back.

She whispered quietly in his ear. "You better go too Sano. You're in this as much as I am."

"No way, I'm sticking with Soujirou. That guy really needs help. He's been in the sickbay since last night. I'm going to get him out of here." With this, the tall man sprinted away down another hallway.

Kaoru rummaged through her belongings, packing away the necessities. She supposed this was the chance she would get to start over. If not, then nobody could say she hadn't tried. Taking courage from her resolve, she ran out the kitchen and into the courtyards. She found herself in front of the bar from a few nights ago.

Of course! Hiko would be able to warn everyone of the impending massacre! Thanking her feet for running instinctively, she pushed open the doors. The bar was empty. There was no furniture. There were no patrons. She even checked the back room. It was empty. The only other door led to an outside entrance. There was nobody left.

Slumping in defeat, she walked outside to find a familiar yellow taxi waiting outside. She quickly opened the door and was about to explain everything when he held up a hand. "I know," he said simply. "Get in."

Unable to argue, she sat down, too agitated to strap on her seatbelt. "Where are we going?" She asked as he began to drive.

"The battle." It was then that Kaoru noticed that Aoshi had foregone his usual yellow taxi-driver attire for something more comfortable. It seems that they weren't letting her off quite yet. She wanted to tell him that she didn't want to go to the battle. She wanted to tell him that she wanted to escape. But one look at the firm resolve on his face soothed her. Adopting a casual attitude, she laid her head back. The stage was set.

Enishi glared at Kanryu and began typing furiously on the computer. "Are all the arrangements ready?" His voice was cold and harsh.

If Kanryu had been a lesser man, he would have flinched. "Yes. We have been ready for weeks. The Battousai should be here at midnight. Even Lord Shishio is coming to pay his respects. It seems that a lot of people are looking for a corpse tonight." He left calmly, shouting orders to the soldiers in the halls. The Resistance probably knew that they were ready; it was the fault of the Takani woman. After this was over, he was going to hunt her down. Sneering at the piles of weapons, he picked out his favourite. The Gaitling gun was a monster of a gun, guaranteed to do a lot of damage. He put in the middle of the room and sat on a chair. It was time for a smoke.

In the meanwhile, Enishi was getting ready as well. His forces were ready to deal with the Resistance specifically. The Juppongatana sent by Shishio were a great help; he knew that they were an excellent mercenary and would take out Battousai in no time.

Eyes narrowing at the thought of the flame-haired devil, Enishi's fists hardened. How dare that man kill Akira? How dare that man hurt Tomoe? Enishi's heart pounded desperately in his chest. How many days had he spent, sitting with his sister who was at death's door? How many tears had he cried for the ones he loved? His anger grew tenfold as he contemplated how painfully exacting his revenge would be. He would make Battousai suffer for his crimes. This was his Jinchu.

Kaoru was painfully aware of the fact that she might not survive. It flowed through her veins and into the beating of her too-loud heart. Frightened, she clutched the armrest. She barely registered Aoshi patting her hand and telling her that she could leave. Shaking her head to indicate her dissent, she grabbed his hand like it was a lifeline.

She could that the fighting had already started. Aoshi jumped out of the car, grabbing two silver pistols from under the seats. He ran towards the fray, his long trench coat flapping behind him like a cape. Kaoru could only duck and whimper as a stray bullet hit the windshield, leaving spider web cracks in its wake. She could make out Kenshin's red hair as he jumped around, giving orders. Even Misao was there, dodging bullets with catlike grace.

The stage was set and the battle had begun. Kaoru only hoped that she would live to see the end.

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_A/N: Ok, so here are the Yukishiro siblings as requested. I hope everyone liked this new chapter…I've been writing furiously because of all the reviews I got for my other stories! I'm so happy! Please expect a new chapter tomorrow (if I have time!) Thanks for reading! And review!_


	7. Showtime

_A/N: Oh, this is the most action-filled chapter, so I apologize in advance if it seems a little bit confusing. I've told the story mostly from Kaoru's point of view thus far…but since she's hiding out in the taxi, it's important to introduce other perspectives. Hope you like it!_

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Aoshi stepped into the courtyard. His men had been thorough; not a single guard was moving. He was surprised that this many soldiers were here. Most of the compound's inhabitants had already escaped, so these guards must have been brought in from somewhere else. Something told him that Shishio would be involved in this fight; Enishi was just too well prepared. He would have to warn Kenshin. Sprinting towards the main entrance, he paused only for a second to look back at his taxi, hoping Kaoru would be alright.

The hallways were more straightforward than those of the base. He followed the richly carpeted corridors, making sure to kick open every door. He was taken no chances. His men were quickly falling into place behind. Beshimi, Hyotoko, Shikiho and Han'nya would take care of any interlopers that were blocking his path. Strangely enough, Aoshi's path was clear.

Suddenly, he heard gunfire burst through the door in front of him. The door shattered into splinters; forcing Aoshi to protect his face against. Signalling for his men to stop, he cautiously clutched his weapons. He really had to get to Kenshin; the man would not last against both Shishio and Enishi. Approaching slowly, Aoshi tried to focus on the person inside.

An oily voice floated out to greet him. "Shinomori, if you need to get to Himura, you'll have to get through me first. Of course, there's no way I'll let you go without a fight!"

Aoshi stiffened, immediately recognizing the voice. It was Takeda Kanryu, a famous opium dealer. Using his dirty tactics, he made several million yen from selling drugs to the masses. Aoshi had taken him down, but not without a fight. Unfortunately, after his empire collapsed, Kanryu had escaped. It seems like he wanted revenge.

There wasn't much choice now. There was no time to find another exit. Steeling himself, he prepared to step through the doorway. But he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder; it seemed like Han'nya had a plan. The masked man pulled Aoshi away, saying, "It's too dangerous. We'll go instead."

During this time, Beshimi had stepped, readying his poison dart gun. For a moment, everything was silent. And then Beshimi's pained screams rang out through the empty hallway. Han'nya, Hyotoko and Shikiho all rushed him with Aoshi hot on their tail. The three men instinctively blocked their leader and Aoshi reacted without thinking. Kanryu was shot five times through the head, his dying fingers finally letting go off the trigger.

The three men in front of Aoshi had been peppered with bullets. Feeling helpless, Aoshi knelt by his friends. They had automatically protected him from Kanryu's Gaitling gun. There was no way they would survive. Aoshi felt himself growing colder and colder until his mind went blank. He did not know how long he knelt there, grasping his guns so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

x-x-x

Kaoru ran through the hallways, hoping that Aoshi was safe. She didn't know what had spurred her into escaping from the taxi, but the moment Aoshi had disappeared from her sight; she had a feeling that something would go wrong. She sprinted through the hallways, hoping to find someone who could help her. Instead, she came across Soujirou, who was bleeding from the mouth.

Gasping in horror, she tried to support the man as he clutched his stomach. Soujirou vomited blood as he tried to smile at his 'sister'. The pain was growing worse, and Soujirou finally knew why he had been given this mission. Getting inside the building and planting the bombs was the most dangerous job, and it had been assigned to him because he was expendable. He was not a traitor, so he would not have betrayed the Resistance, but he was also too sick to survive any torture they might have used on him. Feeling even sicker, he pushed Kaoru away, pointing in the direction of Enishi's office. He wanted to spend his last moments with his favourite memories.

Tears were flowing down Kaoru's face as she stumbled away from Soujirou. She knew there was nothing anyone could do for him anymore. It was too late for anything. Unable to think clearly, she stumbled through an open doorway. Her breath caught as she sighted the five corpses littering the room. In the middle of the carnage was a familiar man. Aoshi's face was blank as he stared and stared at Han'nya's masked face.

Crying even harder, Kaoru pushed forward until she could reach Aoshi's side. Calling out his name, Kaoru grabbed his shoulders and shook them in an effort to break through his stupor. Fighting down her desperation, Kaoru shook the unresponsive man even harder. Wiping her tears, Kaoru could see that Aoshi was too deeply in shock to do anything. It was up to her to snap him out of it. Feeling strengthened with her new resolve, she lifted her hand and slapped him with all her might.

The crack echoed through the silent room. Aoshi blinked twice and lifted a hand to his stinging face. Looking up to see an ashen faced Kaoru looking straight at him, he tried to comprehend the situation. Everything he wanted to know was in her eyes, staring back at him with firm resolve. Dusting himself off, he got up silently, not sparing the bodies on the floor another glance. Time was of the essence.

Kaoru trailed after Aoshi as he ran through the door behind the huge Gaitling gun. She was almost running as she tried to keep up with Aoshi's fast pace and long legs. She didn't need to ask what had him so rattled, but it was obvious from the bodies on the floor. Aoshi had just lost his family.

x-x-x

Kenshin was sweating; the bullet wound in his leg was starting to bleed heavily. He hadn't expected Shishio to be here. It was lucky that the large man with the fishbone was good with a gun, as Kenshin didn't have any backup. After defeating the Juppongatana, Kenshin had raced in here to find that Shishio had personally come to exact revenge. And now, it looked the fight would be over before he even got to Enishi.

Sano wasn't faring much better. He was actually hiding behind a metal desk with Kenshin, waiting until some part of Shishio was visible through the doorway. That big sissy; he was just hiding behind the doorway, waiting until Sano ran out of ammunition. If that was the way it was going to be, then Sano wouldn't let Shishio go without a fight.

Slowly shifting the desk, Sano moved until he was right beside the doorway. When Shishio's arm appeared to shoot, Sano was able to disarm him with a swift kick to the wrist. The gun skittered across the floor where Kenshin picked it up. Without remorse in his amber eyes, Battousai shot down the leader of the Loyalist movement.

Sano panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. He tried not to think of how close he would have been to dying if Kenshin hadn't killed Shishio. However, Battousai was looking the worse for wear. Full of determination, the man was limping towards the doorway. He knew Enishi was waiting.

Stumbling through the doorway, Kenshin was greeted by the sight of Enishi and Tomoe sitting on a large couch. There were no soldiers in this room; it was just the three of them. Sano had agreed to keep watch outside, sensing that this was something that new friend had to do on his own.

Enishi sneered at the battered man before him. He expected Battousai to be a little more fierce and intimidating. Instead, he was greeted by a short, bleeding man. Kenshin definitely didn't live up to his awe-inspiring reputation. Kenshin pulled out a small revolver, hoping to get the job done quickly. Smirking, Enishi did the same.

Tomoe was frightened beyond her wits. In front of her were the two men she loved, and one of them was going to die here. She regretted it, but she had fallen in love with Kenshin when she had been on a modelling tour. They had spent a few blissful months together, but work had pulled them apart. And now, he was her enemy. To tell the truth, Tomoe had been devastated when Enishi had told her who Kenshin really was. But that hadn't stopped her from loving him. She was caught between her fiancé and his murderer.

To be fair, Enishi hadn't known what Kenshin meant to her. He was just focusing on how she had hurt him during those three weeks she was in a coma. True, Tomoe had loved Akira dearly, but she loved Kenshin just the same. But today, she would have to choose between Enishi and Kenshin.

The two men were ready to begin their match. Each stood with their arms extended, guns at the ready. The one with the faster reflexes would win.

"Ready Battousai?" Enishi's voice was steady; he had been waiting for this moment for years. "I'm going to count to three. May the best man win."

Kenshin nodded, ready for anything.

_One_

_Two _

_Three_

Tomoe didn't hear the gunshots; she was screaming too loudly. Both bullets pierced her at the same time, hitting her in the sides. She was not protecting either man. Instead, she stood between them, looking out the large bay window overlooking the city. She didn't register either man's cry of despair.

She could feel the tears on her face from two sets of eyes. There was no need for crying; both of them were alright. This was the only thing she wanted. Closing her eyes, she waited until she could no longer feel the blood running out from her sides.

x-x-x

Kaoru heard only one gunshot. She had no way of knowing who had survived and who had died. Sano jerked up from his place at the door, surprised by the sound and at the appearance of Kaoru and Aoshi. Without breaking his stride, Aoshi ran right past the tall man. Kaoru grabbed Sano's hand and pulled him into the room with her.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight she was seeing. Tomoe was lying on the ground, apparently dead. Both Enishi and Kenshin were staring at her corpse with tears running down their faces. Aoshi didn't even pause to consider the situation. He shot Enishi through the heart.

The surprised man keeled backwards, an expression of shock clear on his tearstained face. Kenshin slowly hugged Tomoe for the final time and let her body fall to the floor. Facing Aoshi, the famed Hitokiri Battousai smiled. Kaoru watched in horror as Kenshin lifted the gun to his head.

"I'll leave it in your hands." Kenshin hadn't finished his sentence before he fired; his face collapsing with the force of the bullet. Kaoru buried her face in her hands. This was not the way things were supposed to end.

* * *

_A/N: Ok, I don't know if that was enough of an ending, but this was the climax. I did use a lot of elements from the original story in this…I hope I got everything right. I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter. I'm considering writing an epilogue…but I'm not sure if I can do it justice. If you do want one, could you please tell me? Just say yes or no!  
_


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